Along with Marc Bergevin, Jim Benning is the second general manager to be fired this year for results on the ice. Let's not lump Stan Bowman in here for obvious reasons, but the fact that both Bergevin and Benning are looking for work speaks directly to how ownership is looking for immediate results following seasons where projected revenues fell entirely short when compared to pre-pandemic money flows. Winning, as we know, makes a sad-sack team into a loveable story, so winning for the Canadiens and Canucks had to happen despite some of the players who have either been missing or underperforming this season.
Handing rather questionable contracts out to the likes of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Tyler Myers, Tucker Poolman, and Travis Hamonic have completely locked the Canucks into "unmovable contract" status with all four players, and the youngest player in the foursome is Tucker Poolman. Time isn't friendly to middle-of-the-road defenders whose footspeed is no longer what it was or was never there, so these four decisions made by Benning have made good defensive zone players that much harder to acquire.
Outside of a handful of players who have shown some offensive mettle this season, Vancouver's offence is rather bleak when one considers they generate very little offence, and are only in most games due to the goaltending of Thatcher Demko. Add in the fact that killing penalties is something they've shown little interest in, and this team is playing from behind most nights. With both Green and Benning given ample time to right the ship, the Canucks finally acted by relieving both of them of their positions.
On the other coast, Alain Vigneault's team looked a lot like other days-before-fired Vigneault teams in that they couldn't score to save their own lives... or their coach's job at the very least. They've scored just 50 goals in 21 games this season - barely over two goals per game - which highlights just how precarious the situation is. Vigneault-coached teams have always been defensively-minded in how they approach the game, but even that wasn't performing up tothis anemic offence under Vigneault is setting new lows. As we've seen in Vancouver, New York City, and, now, Philadelphia, Alain Vigneault's bench life getting shorter and shorter with each new stop.
While Claude Giroux and Cam Atkinson have nine goals apiece, there are question marks when it comes to James van Riemsdyk who has two goals on a $7-million deal. Rasmus Ristolainen, another big acquisition earning $5.4 million, has just five points and looks like he's guessing rather than playing defence. Kevin Hayes has been limited to just five games, Morgan Frost has played just six games, and Ryan Ellis, one of their big acquisitions, has been limited to just four games due to injury.
Beyond that, Keith Yandle has not fit into Vigneault's system whatsoever as he's been looked out of place far in an offence that's stuck in sputter mode, and you have to wonder which player may be on the move next if the situation doesn't improve. Travis Konecny's five goals and 12 points would be awfully attractive to other teams while players like Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, and Joel Farabee would fetch some solid talent the other way. Is Philadelphia willing to send off a good, young player for immediate help?
Bruce Boudreau and Scott Walker will take over in Vancouver while assistant coach Mike Yeo gets the bench in Philadelphia. Stan Smyl will sit in the Vancouver GM chair for the time being until further decisions are made. While Boudreau often comes in and gets results from players immediately, I don't like the Yeo option in Philadelphia. I didn't think he did a particularly good job in Minnesota, and his work in St. Louis was nothing about which he should be boasting. Can he right the ship in Philly? I'm not confident, but the Flyers will take that chance.
What's funny to me is that there are two former Canucks coaches looking for work tonight while two former Minnesota Wild coaches are back behind the benches in two cities. The NHL just keeps recycling the same guys over and over again, it seems, so be prepared to hear a name like John Tortorella come up when the next rumours of a coach dismissal hits the water cooler.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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